Dog Dies While In Care Of Middletown Kennel

The Monmouth County MSPCA is investigating the death of a dog from heat stroke while in the care of a Middletown kennel.

Dogs On The Farm kennel in Middletown (DogsOnAFarm.com)

Bugsy, a French bulldog, died from heat stroke last week while he played outside at the Dogs On The Farm kennel for 90 minutes in the heat according to the Star Ledger.

Owner Danielle Collins told the Asbury Park Press that Bugsy was "perfectly healthy" when she left him there. It was not Bugsy's first stay at the kennel.

Kennel owner Karen Leipzig denied to the newspaper that Bugsy was in direct sunlight and says she has video showing him resting in the shade. She says staff tried unsuccessfully to revive Bugsy with CPR. “We’re extremely upset,” Leipzig told Asbury Park Press . “They (the dogs) are like family to us. ... We’d like to know what happened.”

The kennel paid for an autopsy which should be available on Tuesday.Leipzig says a senior kennel employee was fired following Bugsy's death and the kennel is putting new policy into place.

Dogs On The Farm's website boasts of having "the largest play areas around" and being located on a "historic horse farm." Pictures posted to their Facebook page feature photos of dogs in both sunny and shaded play areas.

Buddy Amato, head of the MSPCA's law enforcement division, told the Press that “This is not ... a cut-and-dry animal cruelty case,” said Amato. “I feel very, very bad for the dog owners, and I also feel bad for the people at Dogs On The Farm because obviously this wasn’t intentional.”

Amato, who is also a bulldog owner, says they should not be left outside in high heat because their flat faces and narrow nasal passages make it especially hard for them to breath.